:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45181406/158922753.0.jpg)
There's no way the Eagles will be able to draft Marcus Mariota. He'll be long gone before Philadelphia's pick at No. 20 in the 2015 NFL Draft. Right? Well, maybe not.
Must Reads
ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic's Jon and Sean Show on Thursday afternoon and shared an interesting opinion on Kelly's former Oregon quarterback. Quotes via Birds 24/7:
"I personally don't think Marcus is a pro-ready quarterback," said Dilfer. "I don't think he's a guy that can play right away. I think he's a guy that has to sit for a year or two, learn an NFL system. I think as this process goes on you're going to see Marcus Mariota's stock drop a little bit because he is not pro-ready.
"He's a phenomenal talent. He's a great kid. But he's not ready to play in a traditional system. I am not completely from the school of thought that Marcus is going to go in those top two, three, four, five picks. I think there's a chance he may slide a little bit as this draft goes. And if he gets into the eight, nine, 10, even early teens, there may be an opportunity for Philly to move and get him if they want him that bad. If Chip feels like he has a plan to integrate him into his offense sooner...then I think it's worth making a play on it."
The opinion of Dilfer, who is actually a really big Nick Foles fan, might not really matter considering he's not an actual scout or GM, but he does make an interesting point. It's one I actually wrote about just the other day:
"Perhaps the Eagles won't need to trade up as high as some think. It's way too early in the draft process, and Mariota hasn't even officially declared, but think back to last year at this time when Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater was pretty much the consensus No. 1 pick. Or at least a top 5 pick. By the time the draft rolled around, Bridgewater ended up going all the way at pick No. 32 to the Minnesota Vikings. Johnny Manziel also went lower than some expected. Mariota might not have the same kind of fall, but it's worth considering that he could drop a bit. If that's the case, an Eagles trade up could become even more realistic. And with no one to stop Kelly from offering what it takes, it's something to keep in mind."
The big assumption now is that Mariota won't be around when the Eagles pick. That could easily be true. The teams at the top of the draft order are quarterback needy and Mariota was a very successful college quarterback.
If there's anything to take away from Dilfer's quote it's the fact that there are 112 days until the 2015 NFL Draft and a lot can change. This is just the tip of the PRE-DRAFT MADNESS iceberg.